A Christmas Surprise
by HurricaneAlaska
Summary: Keith seeks Mac's help with Veronica's Christmas present, but will he get more than he bargained for?


**A/N: This story is a oneshot requested by MellaBrooke. Hope you Enjoy :) **

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><p>Keith Mars pulled up in front of the red brink ranch, cut the engine of his Ford Taurus, and started up the front walk, humming Jingle Bell Rock. In his hands was the Macbook he stole from his daughter's room this morning after she left for jury duty. He had been trying to figure out the perfect gift to get Veronica for weeks, but he was a little cash strapped this month, the holidays were hell in the PI business. Everyone wants to pretend they are one big, perfectly happy family come Christmas, but after the New Year, every suspected cheater's spouse will be knocking down the door at Mars Investigation paying big bucks for that money shot. So when Veronica began to complain about how slow her computer had been recently and how she wished it would hold more files, he thought of her friend, Mac, who had help them out on a few occasions with computer-related cases. He got her number from Veronica's phone and asked her if she could vamp up Veronica's macbook for a reasonable price. She seemed eager to do it, but refused any payment.<p>

He got to the front door but before he could raise his hand to knock, the door opened and Mac was ushering him inside.

"My room's right back here, Mr. Mars."

"I've told you to call me Keith." he replied, laughing, "Mr. Mars makes me sound old."

Mac smiled at that, she had never considered him old, sexy as hell, but never old. She thought back to the first time she met him last year at Mars Investigations.

She came to Veronica because she wanted help figuring out why she was so different from her family. When Keith walked into the room her breath caught. She didn't know what exactly attracted her to him, maybe it was the strong male dominance exuding from his every pore, or the fact that he was a PI. What girl doesn't love a detective. He smiled that crooked smile at her and she just melted.

Every since that day, she jumped at any opportunity to see Keith. She helped him out with some of his cases and hung around the apartment he shared with Veronica, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

It was weird, at first, crushing on her best friends dad; but Keith didn't really seem like someones dad more like a much older brother. She didn't dare tell Veronica anything though, she knew Veronica would freak.

She was self-conscious with Keith being in the house while her parents were home. Would they know she had a crush on him just by the way she acted? She definitely didn't want to find out, so she hurried back to her bedroom and, once Kieth was inside, shut the door.

"Thanks again for revamping Veronica's laptop, Mac, are you sure you won't let me pay you or at least give you something in return?" Keith asked, setting the computer on Mac's desk. He looked around the room, impressed by the breadth of her book and art collection. He moved closer to the bookshelves, seeing the titles of some of his favorite books.

Mac took a deep breath, it was now or never.

"Actually there is one thing…" she said chewing on her bottom lip. She twisted her hands together nervously, waiting for his reply.

"What is it?" He asked, turning away from the bookshelf to face her.

And before he knew what was happening he was kissing his daughter's best friend.

He pulled away quickly, a little shocked by what had happened. "Mac, we can't do this."

"I-I'm sorry." Mac stammered turning red.

"Look, I should go." Keith replied, supremely uncomfortable.

"I'll have Veronica's computer back to you tonight before she gets home." she called out to Keith's receding back.

Once he was out of the house, he inhaled the cold winter air needing it to clear his head.

He could not stop thinking about the kiss as he drove back to the apartment. He was just kissed by his daughter's best friend. He was supposed to be a PI, how did he not realize she had a crush on him? It all made sense now, all the long nights she willingly spent with him hacking into emails and encrypted sites.

But the thing that bothered him the most was that a small part of him enjoyed the kiss. He enjoyed spending time with Mac, she was a brilliant young woman after all. He almost had himself convinced that he only liked the kiss because he had been in a dry spell since his relationship with Alicia ended.

But later that night when a knock sounded as his door and he opened it to see Mac standing there, holding the newly updated computer, he knew he was wrong. It wasn't his dry spell it was the enchanting young woman standing in front of him.

He pulled her into his arms and slowly kissed her. She gasped into his lips, then put more vigor into the kiss.

This time he wasn't thinking about her age or her friendship with Veronica, he was only thinking of his feelings.

Besides she's 18, it's legal.


End file.
